Author Archives: hksar gov

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (July 28) released the latest grading of water quality for 39 gazetted beaches (see Note 1) and one non-gazetted beach (see Note 2).
 
     Nineteen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and 21 as Fair (Grade 2).
 
Grade 1 beaches are:          

Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach*	Silverstrand Beach*
Chung Hom Kok Beach	South Bay Beach*
Discovery Bay	St Stephen’s Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach*	Stanley Main Beach*
Hung Shing Yeh Beach*	Tai Po Lung Mei Beach*
Kiu Tsui Beach	Tong Fuk Beach
Kwun Yam Beach	Trio Beach
Lo So Shing Beach	Turtle Cove Beach
Repulse Bay Beach*	Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Shek O Beach*

 
Grade 2 beaches are:

Anglers’ Beach*	Golden Beach*
Approach Beach	Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach*	Kadoorie Beach*
Butterfly Beach*	Lido Beach*
Cafeteria New Beach	Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach	Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach*
Casam Beach*	Middle Bay Beach
Castle Peak Beach	Pui O Beach*
Clear Water Bay First Beach	Silver Mine Bay Beach*
Clear Water Bay Second Beach*	Ting Kau Beach*
Deep Water Bay Beach*

 
     Compared with the grading released last week, Shek O Beach, Tai Po Lung Mei Beach and Turtle Cove Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1, and Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach and Ting Kau Beach from Grade 3 to Grade 2. Cafeteria Old Beach and Pui O Beach have been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2.
 
     “The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches,” an EPD spokesman said.
 
     Under the present grading system, beaches are classified into four grades, namely Good (Grade 1), Fair (Grade 2), Poor (Grade 3) and Very Poor (Grade 4), according to the level of E. coli in the water. Grades are calculated on the basis of the geometric mean of the E. coli counts on the five most recent sampling occasions.
 
     While the ratings represent the general water quality at the beaches, the EPD spokesman reminded members of the public that water quality could be temporarily affected during and after periods of heavy rain. Bathers should avoid swimming at beaches for up to three days after a storm or heavy rainfall.
 
     A summary of beach grades is published weekly before the weekend. The latest beach grades based on the most current data may be obtained from the EPD’s website on Beach Water Quality (www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.
 
Note 1: Lifeguard services are provided by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department at 22 gazetted beaches, marked with an asterisk (*) above, from May 1.
 
Note 2: The non-gazetted beach is Discovery Bay which has no lifeguard service. read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:      The 70th issue of "HA Risk Alert" was published today (July 28) by the Hospital Authority (HA) as a risk management and communication initiative to further st… read more

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Friday, July 28, 2023 is 103.9 (up 0.3 against yesterday’s index). read more

     â€‹Hong Kong Customs seized about 3 000 items of suspected counterfeit goods and about 670 bottles of suspected smuggled nicotine-containing e-cigarette oil, with a total estimated market value of about $4.3 million, at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point on July 13. 

     Through risk assessment, Customs officers intercepted an incoming truck at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point on that day. The batch of suspected counterfeit goods, including mobile phones, clothing, footwear and earphones, and the batch of suspected smuggled nicotine-containing e-cigarette oil were found inside the cargo compartment. A 49-year-old male driver was arrested. 

     An initial investigation revealed that the batch of suspected counterfeit goods and suspected smuggled e-cigarette oil would be transhipped to Taiwan by air. 

     An investigation is ongoing and the arrested man has been released on bail pending further investigation. 

     Hong Kong Customs will continue to strengthen co-operation with the Mainland and overseas law enforcement agencies and take stringent enforcement action against cross-boundary counterfeit goods and smuggling activities involving alternative smoking products.

     Under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, any person who imports or exports any goods to which a forged trademark is applied commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years. 

     Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person who imports an alternative smoking product, including electronic cigarette products, heated tobacco products, herbal cigarettes and any related devices, parts and accessories, commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected counterfeiting and smuggling activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

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     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) said today (July 28) that the EV-charging at Home Subsidy Scheme (EHSS) will end soon. Private residential buildings and housing estates interested in participating in the EHSS should submit applications as soon as possible.

     In order to promote the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), the Government launched the $3.5 billion EHSS in two phases in October 2020 and August 2022, to assist in and encourage the installation of EV charging-enabling infrastructure (EVCEI) in car parks of existing private residential buildings and housing estates, enabling owners of parking spaces to install chargers conveniently at their parking spaces in the future for charging their EVs at home.

     An EPD spokesperson said, “Since the launch of the EHSS, the EPD has received over 700 applications for installation of EVCEI for over 141 000 parking spaces. Of the $3.5 billion funding under the EHSS, over $3.2 billion (i.e. more than 90 per cent) has been earmarked for the applications received so far. Applications are handled on a first-come, first-served basis until the funding is used up. Private residential buildings and housing estates interested in installing EVCEI in their car parks should submit applications as soon as possible.”

     The spokesperson added that the EHSS has successfully promoted the installation of EVCEI in car parks of many private residential buildings and housing estates, while creating market demand for charging facilities for electric private cars. In the future, the provision of charging facilities for car parks in private residential buildings and housing estates will be taken up by the market to further enhance the charging network for electric private cars. The Government has no plan to further inject funding into the EHSS at this stage.

     For the EHSS’s application requirements and method, as well as the estimated remaining application quota, please visit the dedicated website of the EHSS at www.evhomecharging.gov.hk/en. read more